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rifle, load it, and shoot their rounds before skiing off again. Adults
carry their rifles while skiing, but do not ski with the guns loaded
— they load upon arrival at the course, shoot their rounds, then ski
another round and repeat.
To maintain the fitness for skiing and precision for shooting,
athletes train in a combined program, working the combination of
target shooting and ski racing. However, they don't always do both
in the same session. "It comes down to learning how to do it cor-
rectly without a cardiac load," says Sheppard. "e more you do it,
the more it becomes second nature. Imagine running up 15 flights
of stairs, then trying to thread a needle." Each athlete will find a
place they shoot the best; it just takes many, many repetitions.
Surprisingly, many athletes shoot better at a higher heart rate than
a resting heart rate. "Your heart is pumping the same volume with
each stroke," Sheppard explains. "e faster beat is more fluttering,
slower beat is a boom. A heavier heartbeat will create more move-
ment, especially in prone position. We've found that higher levels of
heart rates create tighter groups." When explained that way, it makes
sense, but it is still counterintuitive. Ski harder; you'll shoot better.
Sheppard sells between 50-100 biathlon rifles per year, which
translates to more and more people getting into the sport. Only
in its second year, the Bridger Biathlon Club is already seeing
enthusiastic growth. And with competitions hosted at Bohart,
Seeley Lake, and Rendezvous Ski Trails, Montana is fast becoming
a western center for biathlon.
"In Montana we have all the ingredients for biatholon," says
Sheppard. "It's a challenging pursuit, but a life-learning experi-
ence." e snow is falling, the targets are up. is winter, you too
can strap on your skis, take the gun out for a lap or two, and learn
all about a new "Montana" sport.
